With an increase in demand for broadband communications and services, telecommunication service providers are migrating towards long-distance, large-capacity optical communication networks. These fiber optic transmission systems typically utilize switches to provide termination and cross-connection between various fiber optic links, such as between main trunk lines and subscriber lines. In this manner, conventional switches generally have two corresponding pluralities of fiber optic lines, i.e., an incoming set (e.g., main trunk lines) and an outgoing set (e.g., subscriber lines). It is common for the incoming and outgoing fibers to be terminated at fixed positions. Utilizing a switch matrix, telecommunication service providers can achieve full photonic switching, i.e., optical-to-optical signal transmission between incoming and outgoing fibers.
Within the realm of free-space optical switching, a switch matrix will typically include a plurality of trajectory adjusters (e.g., mirrors) for establishing free-space optical transmission paths between incoming and outgoing fibers. Conventionally, “N×M” free-space optical cross-connects utilizing mirrors have been created that operate via an array of “N×M” mirrors that redirect an input optical signal from one of “N” input fibers to one of “M” designated output fibers. Compared to conventional copper wiring cross-connects, free-space optical cross-connects require a higher level of precision in terms of care to ensure and maintain proper connections. Traditionally, provisioning and tracking these free-space optical cross-connects has been complex and expensive, which is substantially attributable to the costs and intricacies of creating, controlling, and monitoring suitable mirror arrays.
Therefore, there is a need for cost-effective, free-space optical cross-connects for establishing, switching between, and tracking free-space optical transmission paths.